Windsor-essex confirms 14 new virus cases

The Windsor-essex County Health Unit is reporting 14 additional cases of COVID-19 in the region, with six of them among agricultural workers.

Two of the new cases have been traced back to community spread. As of Wednesday morning, the health unit did not yet have details about the remaining six cases.

With its efforts now focused on case and contact management, health unit staff spend more than 12 hours each day, seven days a week, making phone calls to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as the people they’ve recently come in close contact with. That’s according to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed, who told reporters health unit staff contact most positive cases within 24 hours of receiving their results. Those who don’t respond to the first three phone calls from the health unit receive a written letter and often an in-person visit.

Health unit staff also aim to contact the close contacts of confirmed cases within 24 hours of interviewing an infected individual.

“The work has obviously increased significantly,” Ahmed said.

In the last two weeks, the number of new cases in Windsor-essex has jumped by 256, with a spike in cases among workers in the agrifarm sector.

An estimated 320 individuals employed by county farms have tested positive for COVID -19 since the pandemic began. The majority of those cases are among migrant workers.

Ahmed said members of the general community with confirmed cases of COVID-19 usually have fewer than five close contacts the health unit must notify and provide instructions to. Migrant workers living in shared spaces have eight or more close contacts each.

“(Case and contact management) is the public health work that no one else is doing .... We have to recognize that we are following our mandate as best as we can, and we’re not calling for additional help unless we need it,” Ahmed said. “We want to do it and our staff have been working tirelessly.”

In total, 1,238 people have tested positive for the virus and 721 of them have recovered. Currently, 432 individuals are self-isolating and 67 have died. The status of 16 cases is currently under investigation by the health unit.

The health unit is monitoring COVID-19 outbreaks at two local long-term care homes where one staff member at each tested positive within the past 14 days. They are Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh and Country Village Homes in Woodslee.